SPECIFICITY OF THE SUPPRESSIVE ACTION OF GLUCOCORTICOIDS ON THE PROLIFERATION OF MONOCYTE MACROPHAGES IN THE CSF-STIMULATED CULTURES OF MOUSE BONE-MARROW

  • 1 January 1983
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 11  (3) , 178-186
Abstract
Addition of cortisol and its analogs to soft-agar culture of bone marrow cells markedly decreased the number of monocyte colonies in the presence of colony-stimulating factor [CSF]. Steroids of other categories and cortisol metabolites were much less inhibitory than cortisol, and the shape of dose-response curve apparently differed between cortisol and other steroids. The action of cortisol was not influenced by excess progesterone or testosterone. Addition of cortisol succinate in liquid cultures of CSF-stimulated cells caused a gradual decrease of cellular uptake of [3H]thymidine. The steroid suppressed CSF-independent [3H]thymidine uptake, but the time course of suppression obviously differed from that of CSF-dependent uptake. On day 7 of incubation, the steroid-treated cultures contained a smaller number of cells but higher activities of lysosomal enzymes than the control cultures. The glucocorticoids evidently inhibit proliferation of the cells of monocyte/macrophage lineage.